A State-By-State Eclipse Viewing Guide

Although nearly everyone in the continental U.S. will see some sort of solar display on August 21st, there are only 12 states in the Union that will get the full show. This guide will help you pick the very best spots to watch the Great American Solar Eclipse in any of state you choose.

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Oregon

The 2017 eclipse will first hit the coastal islands of Oregon before moving inland. Though Oregon can get cloudy weather now and then, the state is still coming out in full force for its first-in-the-nation eclipse viewing. The appropriately named Oregon Eclipse will draw out the jam-band crowd, including String Cheese Incident fans.

In the state, the Oregon Solar Fest may be your best t option. While lacking in the music department, Madras has made a big eclipse push and is bringing in NASA, helicopter and hot air balloon flights, and other opportunities that make it a more family friendly affair.

The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument will also allow eclipse viewers to experience some paleontology with lots of animals from the Eocene and Myocene.

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Idaho

Idaho is one of the most beautiful states in the U.S. But rural campsites where you can take in the scenery and catch an eclipse might be full.

One of the best places is at Craters of the Moon National Monument, which will mix science with gorgeous rifts, inactive volcanoes, the wonderful Snake River, and wild flora and fauna. NASA will launch high altitude balloons there in the lead up to the event, and provide astronomy lessons and other events. There is first come, first serve camping, but it will be very limited.

Craters of the Moon actually has a quite important place in space exploration. Apollo astronauts Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell, Joe Engle, and Eugene Cernan crew trained there and were eventually assigned to Apollo 14 with Engle and Cernan as backup crew members.

The most populated area of Idaho on the path is Idaho Falls, which is just south of the center line, still in the path of totality. There are lots of events happening in that area, including at the Museum of Idaho, which will have special space exhibits.

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Wyoming

The eclipse path in our least populous state begins at Grand Teton National Park, south of Yellowstone. Totality will be visible throughout the park, but the closer you are to Jackson Hole, the better. But a note: this resort area will be one of the busier places on the eclipse path.

The city of Casper is the second largest in the state and will be right in the path of totality. It will be hosting an entire festival dedicated to the event and will have music, charity races, Apollo astronauts, and an astronomy convention.

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Nebraska

Nebraska has made a giant eclipse push, and with good reason — the eclipse will be visible through a great majority of the state.

Of course, if you want to meet an astronaut, you may have to go to SolFest in Hastings, where former astronaut Clayton Anderson will be in attendance. The non-profit Hear Nebraska will be gathering together indie rock and folk performers as part of their Good Living tour at this event, and the actual eclipse viewing will take place on prairie land where you'll see the majestic Sandhills Crane.

Or you can go to Carhenge near Alliance in the Northwest of the state, which is exactly what it sounds like: a replica of Stonehenge made out of classic cars. There's plenty going on in Alliance in the lead-up to the event, including Motocross races.

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Kansas

Most viewers may have clouded out Kansas as an option, but a sliver of the center line will run through the northeast of the state, mostly contained to Doniphan County. This may be the sleeper place to see the eclipse and get away from it all in its brief window between Nebraska and Missouri.

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Missouri

Astronomy magazine editor Michael E. Bakich has put together an event at the St. Joseph airport roughly meant to be an "eclipse barbecue," an informal sort of star hangout at the first community in Missouri touched by the center line. The entire city of St. Joseph will be celebrating the event, making it a great viewing opportunity. Kansas City is at the very outer edge of totality and is one of the larger cities on the path, but won't last as long as St. Joseph.

The state's capital, Jefferson City, will host plenty of events, including a Pink Floyd tribute band, a viewing of ET, a "crop circle" corn maze, and barbecue.

Both Jefferson City, Missouri and Murfreesboro, Tennessee are hosting Pink Floyd tribute bands playing Dark Side of the Moon. So you'll have to choose between the two to hear the song "Eclipse" live during the eclipse.

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Illinois

Forget Pink Floyd tribute bands. Forget String Cheese Incident. If you want to make music tourism part of your eclipse viewing, you need to be at Moonstock in Carterville. As the second totality hits, heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne will take the stage and sing "Bark at the Moon." This is not a joke.

Carbondale is calling itself the eclipse crossroads as you'll be able to see the 2024 eclipse there as well. Carbondale will also host the Fuller Future Fest on eclipse 2017 weekend. Oh, and Carbondale will also have a horror house, if that's your thing.

The center line running through Trail of Tears State Forest and Shawnee National Forest will be part of the longest duration of the eclipse. While most sites on the centerline will see a totality lasting 2m39s, the centerline stretches over all of Illinois to a maximum duration of 2m41s before shortening again in Kentucky. To make sure you have the right spot, take a look at this map.

Hopkinsville is also the point of greatest eclipse. This is when the Moon is closest to Earth's axis during the eclipse, which is often at or near great duration. Unfortunately, Hopkinsville loses that second that Illinois gained above everybody else and remains at 2m40s, still longer than much of the nation.

The very northern tip ofLand Between the Lakes National Recreation area nears (but doesn't fall on) center line. It will be hosting Sun and Moon Days in the few days before, during, and after the eclipse. That festival will include — you guessed it — more Pink Floyd, this time in laser show form.

Most of North Carolina's eclipse path will center on Great Smoky Mountains and Nantahala National Forest. Great Smoky Mountains will have an event at Oconaluftee, but the untamed forests of Nantahala may prove to be quite an adventure come eclipse day. A few small towns will have events, including Murphy, but otherwise, the eclipse's path into North Carolina is fairly quiet.

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Georgia

The eclipse's visit to Georgia isn't long. Of populated areas, most of it will go through Rabun County, which is hosting a variety of events. The path of totality also encompasses the Chattahoochee National Forest, which has no formal events owing to its more rugged terrain.

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South Carolina

The eclipse leaves the lower 48 on the coastlines of South Carolina through Francis Marion National Forest. The park is doing some limited admittance events the day of at Buck Hall Recreation Area. Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge on the shores of South Carolina will officially see the eclipse off, and has an event as well. It also has plenty of alligators.

South Carolina also has its biggest cities, Charleston and Columbia, in the path of totality. In fact, center line runs just south of Columbia. Columbia is having tons of events and has some of the more idiosyncratic ones out there. The most fun? Probably an eclipse followed by a minor league baseball game with the Charleston Riverdogs. You could also watch it on a warship or rent a kayak or take a class on painting before the eclipse.

Think you might be in the path? Check NASA's map. If you're between the blue lines, you're good to go. If you're near the red line, you're incredibly lucky. If you're outside those areas—either pack up your bags and expect big clouds or settle for a partial eclipse, which will be visible nationwide.

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